Legacy gift honors world-renowed volcanologist, teacher and father

HONOLULU – Fred Mason Bullard, a world-renowned pioneer in the study of volcanology, general geology and geophysics, will be forever remembered through an endowed fellowship his daughter Thaïs Freda Bullard established in his name before she passed away last year.

With her estate gift of about $1.8 million, Thaïs created the Fred M. Bullard Endowed Graduate Fellowship to carry on the legacy of learning her family embodies. This fund will benefit the graduate fellowship program in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at UH Mānoa School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology (SOEST). Thanks to her generosity, outstanding doctoral and master's degree students will receive the financial assistance they need to excel.

"The gift of this fellowship will perpetuate the work of Fred Bullard, who motivated generations of Earth science students," said Dean Brian Taylor, SOEST.

Fred Bullard (1901-1994) dedicated his life to teaching and research. At the University of Texas at Austin where he taught geology and volcanology, he was considered an outstanding professor and credited with inspiring many of his students to follow careers in geology. During his career, he served as a visiting professor at universities both nationally and internationally, drawing on his extensive fieldwork on volcanoes and geology in the U.S. West Coast and North West regions, Canadian Rockies, Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America and South America. His leading edge work inspired books and films that were highly sought after for many years.

Thaïs was very proud of her famous father and wanted to honor him in a meaningful way. Her commitment to support student research will give students the opportunity to pursue a career in this field, and further what her beloved father began over 80 years ago.

To find out how you can support the Department of Geology and Geophysics, please contact Emily Fay, development officer at (808) 956-5665 or Emily.Fay@uhfoundation.org.

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. Our mission is to unite our donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawai‘i and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhfoundation.org.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing more than 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit www.manoa.hawaii.edu.

The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) was established by the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i in 1988 in recognition of the need to realign and further strengthen the excellent education and research resources available within the University. SOEST brings together four academic departments, three research institutes, several federal cooperative programs, and support facilities of the highest quality in the nation to meet challenges in the ocean, earth and planetary sciences and technologies. For more information, visit www.soest.hawaii.edu.